Page 30 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
“You rescued nothing,” Nathan spat back, stepping closer. The air between the two men crackled with such tension that Lily could almost feel it. “You bought it off me. Bought my family name, but you’ll never own my pride.”
Magnus’s gaze cooled, becoming harder to read. “Pride doesn’t pay debts, Nathan. Neither does stubbornness. Maybe you should thank me for not throwing you out on the street.”
At that, Lily’s heart clenched. The tension was pressing down on her. She wanted to say something, anything, to defuse the situation and prevent an altercation. However, the words were stuck in her throat, and she found herself caught in the middle, powerless.
“Throw me out of the streets?” Nathan echoed with a dry chuckle.
Magnus gave a curt nod. “If you want your family seat, Nathan,” he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, “I’m happy to leave you the title. A hollow crown for a hollow man.”
Nathan’s face contorted with anger, pain, and disbelief. “Don’t speak about hollowness. You don’t understand loyalty. You’re a stranger here.”
Magnus gave a sharp, cruel, and calculated smile. “A stranger who owns the house. And soon, you’ll be a stranger to this town.”
The words hit Nathan like a blow. He staggered slightly, swallowing hard. It made Lily’s breath catch. She had never seen her brother so unmoored.
For a long moment, neither man moved. The only sound was the distant ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway and the faint footsteps of the servants.
Eventually, Magnus broke the silence.
“I’ll leave you one thing, Nathan.” He paused, his eyes flickering to Lily. “The respect of those who still believe you deserve it.”
“All of a sudden, you sound like someone who has a vast amount of that. You keep trying to evade the fact that you are a gambler too. The only thing that sets us apart is luck,” Nathan retorted.
“You are not one to lecture me on ‘luck.’” Magnus’s voice tightened.
Nathan barked a bitter laugh. “You must enjoy playing the role of the preceptor.” He took a step closer. “But do you know what keeps me here?”
Magnus tilted his head, before an amused smirk crept onto his lips. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Getting the manor back. With luck.” Nathan’s eyes were hard, flickering with defiance. “Hope.”
“Hope can be poison,” Magnus simply stated, his stoic face never once betraying his emotions.
A brief silence fell over them before Nathan responded, “Well, we’ll see.”
He took a step back, and his eyes landed on his sister briefly before he turned around and walked away.
The door slammed shut behind him, and Lily held her breath for a moment, not knowing exactly what to do. She was not supposed to feel even an ounce of sympathy for her brother because he created this whole mess.
“It seems you are caught between two storms.” Magnus’s voice jolted her out of her reverie.
She inhaled sharply, bracing herself for the very conversation she had been avoiding.
“I don’t know which will break me fast,” she whispered.
He turned fully to her, his expression unreadable, his eyes sharp. Nothing that suggested he had kissed her with such passion that night.
Had he forgotten about it? Was she the only one who had been unable to stop thinking about it?
“Maybe neither.” He gave a faint smile.
Lily didn’t move. The hall was empty, save for both of them. But something other than silence lingered between them. It was thick and hot. It mirrored the look in his eyes. The one that made her breath hitch.
She swallowed, making sure her expression didn’t betray her inner turmoil. Yes, the duke was helping them by not outing them from the manor and she should be grateful but his words had not just ribbed her brother but her as well. He only reminded her of the agreement between them and how she couldn’t afford to allow herself be distracted by his handsome appeal. She turned back to the window, needing to put some distance between them. Her fingers grazed the sill, the coldness slowly seeping into her.
“You shouldn’t have said that to Nathan,” she said quietly, her eyes fixed on the garden beyond.
“I meant it.”
